another boring question on koh tao

[theslyfox01]

I'm sure this question gets posted once a month.. but I have to ask it anyway

whats the diving like on koh tao in early Jan.? I'm diving in Pattaya at the moment and its pretty good here, and im heading to Tao in 2 weeks with friends who want to be O.W. certified.

How about Phi-Phi? is it a safer bet? Finally whats this Padi referral thing on there webpage, if I refer my 3 friends to them for O.W. cert. does it do me any good?

thanks guys

 

[Welshman]

Phi Phi should be nice next month. Can't comment on Koh Tao.

You might check out: www.sawadee.com
for information.

 

[cmdasia]

The PADI referral is for when a split course is taking place, for example if INS/Company "X" teaches a customer the classroom portion (or any part of a course) but then passes the student onto another INS/Company "Y" to complete the course. It is quite common for a Student to do classroom and pool with one company and then through a referral to do open water exercise portion with another INS/company.

There is also a local referral deal that operates between dive operations, for example if you are a PADI "pro" you should be able to get 10/20% of the course fee as "referral fee" for handing over the student to another instructor/company. Wierd thing is (esp. Pattaya!) that you cannot, as a customer, get this 10/20% discounted by going direct - through the refferrer or the the final training company, you still pay exactly the same fee - go figure!

Same goes for booking boats - although strangely - its actually much much cheaper to book a days diving through a referrer than to go directly to company running the boat - I have personally paid between 1200 Baht and 3000 Baht for a days diving on the same boat but booked through different referrers. Booking a day in Pattaya with an operator in Bangkok is nearly allways the cheapest way to dive in Pattaya. Surprisingly the the Pattaya operations have a little group called PASS (Pattaya Alliance for Safe Scuba) who's main task seems to be enforcing a price fixing cartel amongst Pattaya operators - they usually want upto 3000 Baht a day (with equipment)!!

I find the pricing on Koh Tao much more acceptable as they do seem to be at each others throats regarding prices and even if they price fix also its not such a problem because you can get transfer from Samui to Tao, diving, accomodation, equipment, and transfer back to Samui plus nicer diving! for less than it would cost you for a weekend in Pattaya. I did it with SIDS on Samui they offered a great package on Tao for about 6000 Baht.

One last thing - if you want to buy equipment tell your instructor what you wnat and that you will give him 10% for going in the shop and buying it for you - as he normally gets 30% discount you can both get a deal.

Happy Xmas

 

[divedivedive!]

Just worth noting that it's smack in the middle of the monsoon season in Koh Tao and Koh Samui in January. Even though it's in the same body of water as Pattaya, the later is sheltered from this monsoon by the eastern land mass, whereas the others face the open seas... and when it rains there, it *really* rains, piss-heavy, non-stop, over many days. I'm not actually there now so I don't know how bad it is this year, but I wouldn't take the risk.

Phi Phi might be your better bet as it's the high/dry season now. Probably slightly more expensive, but the diving should be just as good, given the degeneration of most of the Koh Tao sites save for some of the pinnacles.

 

[clive francis]

another problem (super major) with the monsoon season, is that the sea gets so rough the boats can't get there for weeks at a time, so you may get there without a delay (pretty unlikely) and you may well get stuck there (pretty likely).

my wife is from Phuket, so I get to know all the ins and outs of the Thai weather and where is best and not (not just for diving, but for everything).

we are going next Christmas (5 weeks or so) after our baby is born.

Going to try and fit in Khoa Lak (SP?) opposite the Andamans for a couple days diving, then Phuket (2 weeks) to see friends and family, then to Krabi, or lanta for a couple of weeks diving and R + R

 

[Wazee Diver]

Clive is right ,I was there last year.
Every thing that he says is true.
Wait untill march to go.
beter yet dive on Koh Phanang.
The people great,
the Island is great,

Al